What Is Islam?

We are providing
this section for our new brother and sisters so that they may have more information
regarding the teachings of Islam; the religion of absolute submission to
the one God; Allah.

We sincerely hope
that you will benefit from it, and that it may deepen your knowledge and
increase your interest in Islam. Although we live in the twentieth century
- in probably the most secular and irreligious age in history - many of us
are still inclined to stop from time to time to think about religion. And
yet we find that there are so many different opinions about religion. Religions
seem to cling fanatically to their own beliefs. Each in turn seems to claim
that it possesses all truth, while all others are lost in hopeless error.

In an age torn
by hatred, war and strife among the races, many of us look back to religion
for guidance to peace and brotherhood and are disappointed when we find in
most of them intolerance and narrowness of spirituality.

So, we may ask,
is there a religion which teaches the Oneness of God and the oneness of mankind,
and yet, at the same time is tolerant of other points of view? This is exactly
the teaching of Islam. In fact, Islam teaches that this message of the Oneness
of God and the brotherhood of all races is the original message which Allah
sent to all prophets and religions since the dawn of human history.

However, man has
changed this original teaching of Oneness and developed out of numerous mutually
antagonistic sects. As Allah says in the Holy Qur'an, the revelation of Allah
to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh):

"And verily
this Ummah of yours is a single Ummah and I am your Lord, and Cherisher:
therefore fear Me (and no other). But people have cut off their affair
(of unity), between them into sects: each party rejoices in that which
is with itself. " (Quran 23:52-53)

Islam still preserves
this teaching of the Oneness of God and the brotherhood of all mankind. Islam
seeks to implement this spirit among all races, and yet, at the same time,
remains tolerant and respectful of all other heavenly religions and their
followers who share the belief in the One and only God. The Holy Qur'an teaches:

"Let there
be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever
rejects Tagut and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold,
that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things." (Qur'an
2:256)

The Meaning of Islam

It is false to
call Islam Mohammedanism, as has been done so frequently in the West. We
have already pointed out that Muslims believe that Islam is the eternal message
which Allah sent to all prophets, peace be upon them, from the dawn of mankind,
and not a new belief which began with the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Muslims call their
religion Islam, and the Arabic word Islam implies the attainment of peace
through submission to Allah. The word Muslim is an adjective derived from
the noun Islam, and implies one who has peace within himself from his submission
to Allah.

Muslims believe
in the One, Eternal God, Who created the heavens and the earth and all that
exists. In Arabic, God is called Allah. There is absolutely no difference
between Allah and the God of Abraham, Moses and Jesus, peace be upon them
all. Muslims do not believe that Prophet Muhammad was the only Prophet; rather
they believe that he was the last of the Prophets of the Old and New Testaments.
The Holy Qur'an is the revealed and sacred scripture of Islam, and it teaches:

"Say Ye:
'We believe in Allah and the revelation given to us, and to Abraham, Isma'il,
Isaac, Jacob and the Tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and that
given to (all) Prophets from their Lord: We make no difference between
one and another of them: and we submit to Allah.'" (Qur'an 2:136)

Some
Basic Beliefs of Islam

The most fundamental
concept of Islam and the backbone of all its other principles and practices
is the Oneness of God - tawhiid. Islam is monotheism in its purest form,
and the logic of pure monotheism is the thread which runs through the entire
fabric of the Islamic way of life. Islam teaches a fundamental difference
between Allah, the Creator and that which He has created. The sky, the moon,
the stars, the harmony and perfection of the natural world, the grace and
beauty of the human body and the excellence of the human mind, the alternation
of day and night, the change of the seasons, and the mystery of life and
death all point to something beyond, greater than themselves. To the believer
these are all signs (ayaat) of Allah. Islam teaches that Allah is not to
be likened to anything which He has created. He is All-Powerful, All-Knowing.
He is beyond any imperfection, and is the fulfillment of all Perfection.
He is not a substance, nor is He like any of His creatures. He is not a far
away and distant God, nor is He an unapproachable ideal. He is All-Kind,
All-Merciful, and All-Compassionate.

Islam teaches
that Allah is eternal. He was not Himself begotten, nor has He, in turn begotten
a son or a daughter. Islam rejects the concept of the incarnation of God,
which is found in Hinduism, Christianity, and other religions, and believes
that the concept of incarnation limits the concept of God and destroys the
believer's conviction of God's Activeness and Perfection.

The Qur'an describes
Allah being perfect and active:

"Allah,
there is no god except He. The Living, the Everlasting. Neither dozing
nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and
the earth. Who is he that shall intercede with Him except by His permission?
He knows what will be before their hands and what was behind them. And
they do not comprehend anything of His knowledge except what He willed.
His Seat surrounds the heavens and earth. The preserving of them does not
tire Him. He is the All High, the All-Glorious. " (Qur'an 2:255)

Islam rejects
the notion that Jesus (PBUH) was the son of God. Rather it honors and respects
him as one of the great messengers and prophets of Allah to the Children
of Israel.

Islam rejects
the concept of trinity and considers it a contradiction of pure monotheism.
It also rejects the argument of some Christians that God made Himself incarnate
in Jesus, peace be upon him, so that God could be known by men, and also
rejects the argument that Jesus, peace be upon him, died on the cross for
mankind's sins. To begin with, Islam believes that man can come to know Allah
and feel close to Him by means of proper prayer, fasting, charity, pilgrimage,
and righteous deeds. The very practice of Islam is meant to purify the believer's
soul and to bring him/her closer to Allah. With regard to the second argument,
Islam teaches no human being can bear the burden of another's responsibility.

Allah is very
aware of our human weaknesses and imperfection. He does not condemn us because
we are created imperfect; rather He guides us to self-perfection and He forgives
us and showers His Mercy upon us when we fail and then ask His forgiveness
sincerely.

Muslims believe
in the divine origin of the Old and New Testaments, although Muslims doubt
the historical authenticity of some parts of the Old and New Testaments and
do not believe them to be exact representations of what Allah originally
revealed. The Qur'an upheld this view of the text of the Old and New Testaments
hundreds of years ago, and in recent years, this view has been upheld by
textual studies of biblical scholars. Muslims believe in the Angels of Allah,
and His Prophets, peace be upon them. They believe in the resurrection of
the dead at the end of the world; they believe in the coming of the Day of
Judgement and eternal life in Paradise or Hell.

Although Muslims
believe that Allah is All-Powerful and maintains complete control over His
creation, they also believe that Allah has created man with free will and
the ability to choose and act, and that Allah is just in making man morally
responsible for what man does during his/her lifetime. It is false to say
that Islam teaches its followers to resign meekly and passively to whatever
is their fate or destiny. Rather Islam challenges the believer to fight against
wrong and oppression and to strive for the establishment of righteousness
and justice.

Faith
In Action

Faith without
action is a dead letter. Islam teaches us that faith by itself is not enough
until it is transformed into action. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:

"Faith
does not depend on raising hopes, but it is something which is firmly established
in the heart and testified to by action. Indeed, there are people who have
been deceived by their hopes, so that they finally leave this world without
merit. They used to say, 'We have good expectations from Allah.' Yet they
only deceived themselves. For had they truly placed good expectations in
Allah, they would have excelled in good deeds."

Each Muslim is
taught that he/she is personally responsible for his/her own actions, both
in this world and in the hereafter. Islam teaches that every individual must
carry the responsibility of his/her own actions and that no one can carry
that burden for them.

The
Position of Women in Islam

Islam teaches
that the woman is not inherently inferior to man; rather man and woman are
of similar nature. They both are equal in intellectual and spiritual capacity.
Furthermore, they are both equally responsible for their deeds before Allah.

It is also true
that Islam regards the woman as having a primary role to play in the constitution
and running of the family. Islam places great emphasis on the role of the
Muslim woman as a wife and particularly as a mother, and Muslims are often
of the opinion that the best position for the woman is in the home with her
children and family. However, the Muslim woman is not prohibited from leaving
her home to pursue education, a teaching profession, or other worthwhile
and constructive goals which profit not only her but society as well. The
Qur'an establishes the spiritual equality and mutual responsibility of man
and woman in verses like the following:

"And whoever
does deeds of righteousness, whether male or female, and is a believer,
such will enter Paradise, and they will not be wronged even a small thing
like the spot on a date- stone." (Qur'an 4:124)

"And their
Lord answered them, 'Indeed I suffer not the work of any worker, male or
female, to be lost. You are equal to each other.'" (Qur'an 3:195)

The relationship
of the Muslim man to his wife is not that of master to slave. Rather the
entire responsibility of economic support is placed on the shoulders of the
man alone and he cannot demand of his wife that she also become economically
productive to support the family, although she is able to do this if she
desires.

The Qur'an enunciates this responsibility of men to women in the following
verse:

"Men are
the protectors and maintainers of women, for that Allah has preferred one
over the other in bounty, and because they support them from their means.
So righteous women are obedient, guarding in secret what Allah has guarded." (Qur'an
4:34)

The important
point that should be made is that Islam has great respect for the woman.
It does not teach that she is without a soul or that she is the root of all
evil or that she is inferior to man and must be kept in seclusion and subjugation.
It is also worthy of mention that the Qur'an does not teach that man fell
from Paradise because of the temptation of Eve. Rather the Qur'an directs
all the responsibility toward Adam himself, while adding that Allah turned
to Adam in mercy and forgave him his sin. Therefore, Adam's sin stops with
Adam himself, and Allah, who is the Beneficent and the Merciful, does not
hold mankind responsible for the sin of Adam.

We cannot deny
that the condition of women has at times been regrettable in the Muslim world,
as well as in the rest of the world at large. We do not wish to justify these
circumstances, but only to make the point that they did not originate from
the teachings of Islam itself.

Brotherhood
and Equality of Mankind

Islam teaches
that the human family is one, that there is no superiority of white over
black or black over white. Islam rejects radically all notions of racial
prejudice and teaches that the only basis of distinction between human beings
is their individual moral qualities.

The concept of
Islamic brotherhood has two primary dimensions; the relationship of Muslims
to Muslims and the relationship of Muslims to non-Muslims. As for the first
category Islam teaches that the brotherhood between all Muslim is to be absolute
and total. The Arab has no privileges over the non-Arab, and, since there
is no clergy or priesthood in Islam, all Muslims are basically equal, from
top to bottom, from rich to poor, from educated to uneducated.

As for the relationships
between Muslims and non-Muslims, the teaching of Islam is that this is to
be a relationship of mutual respect and particularly of tolerance. It is
preferable that Muslims and non-Muslims live in peace, protect each other,
and cooperate with each other. As the Qur'an says: "There is no compulsion
in religion ..." (Qur'an 2:256) and "You have your religion
and I have mine."(Qur'an 109:6)

Reason

Muslims consider
their religion to be very rational and consistent with the dictates of the
believing and reasoning mind. Furthermore, the Qur'an teaches that the rational
faculty is one of the greatest gifts of Allah to man, and it encourages us
to use this faculty and to develop it. Islam does not ask its followers to
believe and then follow everything blindly and unquestioningly. The Quran
says, for instance:

"And if
you are in doubt about what We have send down to Our worshipper, then bring
a chapter like it, and call your witnesses besides Allah, if you are truthful."
(Qur'an 2:23)

Islam encourages
reasoning, thought and personal opinion. The Prophet (PBUH) said: "The
differences of opinion among the learned of my followers are Allah's mercy."
Islam has great respect for learning science and for man's exploration of the
secrets of nature and of creation. In fact Allah challenges man on many occasions
in the Qur'an to deepen his faith, knowledge, and wisdom from study and contemplation
of the natural world, its harmony, symmetry, and beauty. For example:

"He it
is who created the seven heavens in harmony. Never can you see a lack of
symmetry in the creation of the Compassionate. So look yet again, can you
perceive any flaw? Then look again, and still another time; your vision
will return unto you weakened and dim." (Qur'an 67:3-4)

The individual
capacities and unique abilities of people are a gift of Allah, to be developed,
perfected, and used for the benefit of humanity. Islam does not try to crush
the individuality of its believers, but rather to guide each believer to
perfection and purify his own uniqueness. This multiplicity of expressive
and developed personalities enriches society and places it on a higher level,
like the beauty of an intricate but unified arabesque.

Islamic
Attitude Towards War

In the eyes of
some commentators on Islam in the West, Islam has been portrayed as a militant
religion, a religion of blood, fire, and sword. We have already tried to
draw attention to the fundamental concern of Islam for tolerance and religious
freedom, and have also commented upon the emphasis Islam places on peace
and cooperation among mankind. However, Islam is a practical religion, a
religion which never ignores for a single moment the complexities and demands
of the harsh realities and facts of life.

Islam is fundamentally
concerned with establishing societies in which the rights of freedom of belief,
human rights, and protection of life, dignity, and property are secure from
both internal and external threats.

Therefore, Islam
teaches its followers to be merciful and inclined toward forgiveness and
peace even in times of war.
Islam therefore stipulates principles which Muslims are to follow before, during,
and after war. Peace is to be established on the basis of justice. Muslims
are not to be aggressive or to violate treaties which they have concluded with
others, but war is to be waged in defence of the Muslim community and what
it stands for. During war, there is to be no killing of civilians and those
who do no participate directly in the war. Prisoners are to be treated humanely.
Destruction of lands, fruit trees, animals, and towns and villages is to be
avoided. Muslims are to be inclined to peace if the enemy is truthfully inclined
to peace, and they are to make treaties and agreements to preserve that peace
and then observe those treaties as long as the enemy observes them. The concept
of 'jihad' is one of the highest concepts in Islam. The term has at times been
translated as 'Holy War'. However, this translation is incomplete for Jihad
also means by language 'struggling'. It is a concept which places great emphasis
on activism and self-sacrifice, although it does not apply to sacrifice in
war alone. The Prophet (PBUH) said that the greatest jihad is the striving
of the Muslim to purify himself. The lesser jihad consists of all the striving
the Muslim does in his external life, charity, righteous living and acts, the
constant effort to achieve the Right Path in his dealings with his fellow men.
This is true striving in the Way of Allah.

The
Five Pillars of Islam

Islam sets down
five principle duties which are obligatory upon all Muslims, and form the
structure, or pillars, of his/her life. They are:

1. Belief
in the Oneness of Allah, and the bearing of witness to this belief by the
words.
"I bear witness that there is no god except Allah, and that Muhammad is
His Prophet and Messenger."

2. The
five daily prayers at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset and nightfall. These
five daily prayers help one to develop Allah consciousness in his/her everyday
life. The importance of these cannot be over-emphasized. They are a constant
reminder to the worshipper of the Presence and Power of Allah and help the
worshipper to keep himself from deviating from the Right Path.

3. The
bestowal of charity on one's fellow man. Islam places great emphasis on generosity
and charity as a means of purifying one's soul and getting closer to Allah.
The Muslim is enjoined to give voluntarily whenever he/she can; however,
he/she is required each year to pay an obligatory charity tax of two and
a half percent of his/her annual net earnings that exceed necessities, to
go to the poor and the needy, etc. The Zakat - charity - thus enables the
Muslim community to take care of all its members and insures that no one
will be deprived of his/her basic human right to exist.

4. Fasting
during the ninth month of the lunar year 'Ramadan'. This fast is enjoined
upon Muslims of good health and sound body who have attained the age of physical
maturity and are not prevented from performing the fast by various circumstances
like travel, sickness, mental illness, or specifically in the case of women,
menstruation, or childbirth. The fast of Ramadan begins at dawn and last
until sunset. During this period the Muslim abstains from eating, and drinking,
sexual activity and smoking. Fasting teaches self discipline and control,
while purifying the soul and body and strengthening one's consciousness of
Allah.

5. The
pilgrimage to Mecca. The pilgrimage is required of all Muslims at least once
during their lifetime, if they have the financial means. The annual pilgrimage
to Mecca is one of the greatest events of the Muslim world, uniting Muslims
from every race and from every corner of the world. This is a great experience
in the life of a Muslim which enables him to draw himself closer to Allah.
We would like to remind the reader that the Holy Mosque in Mecca was built
by Prophet Abraham and his son, the Prophet Ishmail, peace be upon them.

Who
is a Muslim?

Since there is
no priesthood in Islam, no clergy and no official religious institution,
all one has to do to become a Muslim is to be personally convinced of the
truth of what Islam teaches and bear witness that "There is no god except
Allah, and that Muhammad is His Prophet."

One of the great
beauties of Islam is its simplicity, its naturalness, and its lack of formalities.
Islam is the religion of Adam and of mankind in its earliest and most advanced
stages of development. Allah says in the Holy Qur'an:

"So set
your face to the religion of Islam as a man by nature upright, the nature
of Allah with which He has inspired mankind and molded them. There is no
changing to the creation of Allah. That is the right religion, but most
men know not."
(Qur'an 30:30)

The
Benefit of Embracing Islam

Among the many
benefits of embracing Islam are that once you bear witness that: "There
is no god except Allah, and Muhammad is His Prophet," all your past
sins are forgiven and all your past sins are transformed into merits! You
also receive the reward of believing the religion of the Prophet Jesus, if
you are a Christian, or Prophet Moses, if you are a Jew, and the religion
of Prophet Muhammad, which means that you receive two rewards.